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  #16  
Old 07-26-2020, 12:18 PM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Yes Zombywoof, when I turn off my brain and just play it really does start to come back! Thanks for your welcome, love your Ed Gerhard quote!
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  #17  
Old 07-26-2020, 12:57 PM
pjroberts pjroberts is offline
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Hi Dave - Welcome to AGF. I’m going to restate some previous advice more directly. Whether you buy a new guitar, use your old one or the other new ones, get them set up by professional ... you might start a new post asking for recommendations in your area. Then talk it through on the phone with this reputable tech or luthier (GC even has good ones at some stores) and arrange a safe drop off where you don’t have to deal with anyone 1:1. Besides overall action, ask them to cut the nut as low as possible. I’m always surprised at well set up guitars that still have higher cut nuts ... everything checks out but an F chord bites, or even an Am. Taylors have best rep for off-the-shelf playability, but I’m amazed at how high the nuts are sometimes. Easily fixed, but I think you can work around the Covid risks with a good referral, a phone chat or two, and a masked drop off. Almost any guitar will benefit.

I can type a lot too.
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  #18  
Old 07-26-2020, 01:10 PM
vintage40s vintage40s is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveForAries View Post
... I love the low action of the electric... but I've always really loved playing acoustic... I'm looking for an acoustic or acoustic-electric that plays like an electric... I'm finding the acoustics I have are a little harder to play than I remember...
I feel your pain. I suffered with a new Martin D-35 for almost 50 years, always having to play with a capo.
Then I heard of the term "luthier". A luthier got the action perfect, but after all those decades, the saddle and the boominess was sacrificed.
You should know that you can make a new acoustic as easy to play as an electric. A luthier did that with with my sole remaining guitar, a new 2018 Eastman OM.
The nut is so low that it feels like a capo is on there. Capo-less freedom!
The bass string is 2mm or 2.5/32 at the 12th fret.
The saddle is still high.
The action is easy for finger style all the way up, but does not buzz on the hardest flat picking.
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  #19  
Old 07-26-2020, 01:55 PM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Haha pjroberts, look at my original post - I almost wrote a freaking book! Yes, when I was in the Guitar Center last week I noticed they do repairs there, I'll have to check with them about a professional setup because I know they will do drop offs and pickups at the curb.

Thanks!
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  #20  
Old 07-26-2020, 02:19 PM
dan! dan! is offline
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Here’s my standard spiel I give all new guitarists:

Physicality of guitar playing comes down mainly to these things:
1. Scale length (shorter is easier)
2. Action height (lower is easier)
3. String tension (less tension is easier)
4. Sting diameter (thinner is easier)

(Some of those are interrelated and there are many other factors too such as guitar size, neck width, etc)

On any guitar - and I think you should try this right now on your current guitar - you can make #1,#2,#3 better instantly. Tune down a whole step (strings would be DGCFAD instead of EADGBE) and put a capo on the second fret.

You’ve now effectively shortened the scale, lessened the tension, and (most likely) lowered the action. Given the placement of the capo, you’ll still be playing in standard tuning.

I have seen so many people’s minds blown by this “trick” - I can’t believe it’s not more common advice... I should just start copying and pasting this so I don’t have to keep typing it...
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  #21  
Old 07-26-2020, 02:22 PM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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Taking 30 years off or however period of time.

I think the key is to try to progress immediately.

Whether the guitar plays well or is hard to play (bad setup) is secondary.

You already know how to play the guitar.

Take that step and try to learn A HA moments in restarting your journey.

You're not going to be picking up guitar and playing it like you did 30 years ago. You are going to want to advance.

My own personal experience.

J
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  #22  
Old 07-26-2020, 06:19 PM
dbvirago dbvirago is offline
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Dave, what was it about the Taylor that didn't fit. I'm in pretty much the same situation as you and I went with the Taylor Acadamy dreadnought. I was looking at the same Yamaha as you, when I walked into Righteous Guitar in Alpharetta, Georgia and walked out with the Taylor.

They do setups on all their guitars and the action was very easy. Finger pain went away after about 2 weeks and now 2 months in, I can play for an hour or so with no pain in fingers or hands.

Good luck and keep us posted.
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  #23  
Old 07-26-2020, 06:31 PM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Dbvirago, it just dawned on me that they never did a setup on that guitar! The salesman said it had just come in that morning, I watched him take it out of the box, do a quick tune then he handed it to me and left. I played for about a minute, it didn't feel good at all, strings were very high, I just didn't like it. Maybe that's why! Darn shame too because I was ready to buy if it had felt good.
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  #24  
Old 07-27-2020, 06:39 PM
dbvirago dbvirago is offline
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That's too bad. These guys were great. First thing I noticed was the action. When I said something, that's when he told me about doing a setup on every guitar. They wanted all the action the same, so people wouldn't base their decision on that one factor.

Not sure if it is all Taylors or this store, but also got a nice gig bag and free strings quarterly for life.
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  #25  
Old 07-27-2020, 06:44 PM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Boy I need to come to Georgia for my next guitar, they sound like a great store!
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  #26  
Old 07-29-2020, 03:35 PM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Well guys, the Yamaha didn't work out, action was way too high, payed just like the Fender FA-115 I already have. I had a guy at the Guitar Center recommend a PRS SE A20X acoustic-electric. Apparently the PRS stands for Paul Reed Smith and the guy at the store said they were really well made and had action like an electric. I'm going to try and find one around here but wanted any thoughts any of you may have about the PRS brand. Thanks!
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  #27  
Old 07-29-2020, 03:39 PM
Sponserv Sponserv is offline
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PRS acoustics are extremely well made offshore guitars and have great tone in my opinion. The ones I have tinkered with came very well setup. As a matter of fact I am actually gassing for an A60. I dont think you can go wrong with a PRS.
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  #28  
Old 08-01-2020, 07:07 AM
DaveForAries DaveForAries is offline
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Went to the local Guitar Center yesterday, didn't like the PRS nearly as much as the Breedlove Discovery Concert in Mahogany, looks and sounds beautiful! They also had a really nice Breedlove Traveler that played really well but the Discovery played just as well, had a nicer tone and was on sale so I couldn't resist.

Thanks for all of your comments and recommendations, it helped a lot! When I was looking in the store waiting for the saleswoman to get the PRS the Breedlove caught my eye and I remembered quite a few people here in the forum recommending them, and I'm really glad I did!
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  #29  
Old 08-01-2020, 07:18 AM
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Lkristians Lkristians is offline
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Congrats on your purchase. Enjoy the ride!
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  #30  
Old 08-01-2020, 08:50 AM
hackathorn hackathorn is offline
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I was basically in the same position as you, coming back to playing after a 50 year break. I had an old Yamaha nylon string classical and after starting to relearn the classical style, headstock about head level and lots of exercises for the right hand, I decided to purchase my first steel string acoustic. (I also have an old blonde '59 Jazzmaster). After doing online shopping like you, I ended up purchasing a PRS SE60A. (It is a beautiful instrument with a wonderful sound and sustain...)

After playing it for a few days, I noticed fingertip soreness, measured the action, and after sighting down the neck, realized it had a bit of bow and needed the truss rod tightened. I slowly tightened the rod over a couple of days, testing each time by holding the #1 and #6 strings at the 1st and 12 frets, and the action dropped considerably as did the fingertip pain. The best I could tell, the rod was totally loose when I started, so the neck relief was from string tension on a non-truss rod supported neck. The strings were also very loose out of the box.

PRS spec on bass string is .023 1st fret & .078 12th fret. Treble at .0156 1st fret & .062 12th fret
My A60 out of the box was .028 1st fret & .094 12th Treble .02 1st fret &.075 12th
After the truss rod adjustment .014 1st fret & .06 12th Treble .009 1st fret & .035 12th

The difference in play-ability was dramatic and I can play the PRS basically as much as I want. I didn't have to touch the nut or the saddle. This was a new PRS (it still has that fresh-wood scent from the soundhole) but was manufactured in 2018, so basically sealed in its case in a bag in a box since it was inspected in early 2019 here in the U.S.

So from my experience the PRS you played might have needed to be adjusted as much as the Taylor. I just used a simple feeler gauge like the ones used to set plug and point gaps. If you are still shopping, slip a gauge in your pocket!

One other tip for playing longer periods especially for learning fingerstyle is that you don't have to hold the strings down to the frets to do exercises for the right hand. If standard tuning bothers you (or someone else in the house) Tune to DADGAD, dropped D or some other open tuning. I'm still working on finger independence with lots of crossing exercises and the ole' Travis picking exercises to get my thumb independent from my fingers. Also Pierre Bensusan devotes several pages of his book to hand exercises, both to strengthen all muscles in the hands and lower arms, along with stretching exercises to achieve those 5 fret stretches.
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